Machine for separating peas from refuse.



1. R. MERO.

MACHINE Foa SEPAHATING PEAs FROM REFUSE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I3. 1915.

Patented May 1, 1917.

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a; anar urina J ESSE R. MERO, OF HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF SIX-TENTHS TO JACOB BLUMLEIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed April 13, 1915. Serial No. 21,008.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Jnssn R. MERO, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of Half Moon Bay, San Mateo county, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Machine for Separating Peas from' Refuse, of which the following is a specification. l

The vinvention relates to machines for separating peas from the waste matter, such as leaves, vines, stems, pods, skins, splits and other material usually associated therewith. The peas, before they are separated from the waste products, are usually par-boiled, so that they are soft and tender and the separating apparatus is constructed so that the tender peas will not be harmed as they pass through the machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine for separating good peas from the waste matter associated with the peas.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which operates to separate the good peas from the waste matter without injuring the tender peas or their skins.

Another object of the invention is to pro-v vide a pea separating machine which is adjustable so that it may operate efficiently on peas of different sizes and qualities.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeeding said description. From this it will be apparenJ that I do not limit myself to the showing made by said drawings and description, as I may adopt many variations within the scope of my invention as set forth in said claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the machine of my invention. v

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, showing the driving mechanism for the various parts.

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the means for adjusting the angles of the bouncing plates.

The machine comprises a suitable frame or support 2 upon'J which the various elements of the machine are mounted. At the upper portion of the frame 2 is hung a shaking table Shaving a perforated or screen bottom l, and underlying a part of the screen is the smooth-surfaced table 5, preferably formed of glass. The screen is inclined and is provided at its upper end with a feed hopper 6 having an adjustable gate 7, by means of which the feed of the peas to the screen may be regulated. At the lower end the table 3 is provided with a refuse discharge chute 8. That portion of the bottom 4L of the table 3 which lies directly under the hopper 6 is imperforate for reasons that will hereinafter appear. rIhe smooth surfaced table 5 which receives the peas from the screen is inclined in the opposite direction to the screen. The tables 3 and 5 are preferably inclosed in a box-like structure and are rigidly held with respect to each other.

The structure containing vthe tables is hung on the frame 2 by links 9 so that the structure may be shaken and the shaking movement is imparted through the rod 12 connected to the eccentric 13. 'Ihe structure is oscillated in the direction of the slope of the tables and thereby' causes the peas to travel along the tables. The peas as they are fed to the machine are moist and often accumulate in .masses and the shaking movement acts to disintegrate the masses and release the separate peas. The peas fall through the screen and the larger pieces of waste matter, such as pods and leaves, discharge through the chute 8.

Arranged below the upper end of the screen is an inclined chamber 14, which I have termed the bouncing chamber. The peas which pass through the screen at its upper end fall directly into this chamber and those peas which pass through the screen vand fall onto the smooth surfaced table 5 roll from there into the bouncing chamber. The peas being round, roll along the table 5 and some of the waste products adhere to the smooth surface and are retarded. The smooth surface acts to produce a difference in speed of travel of the peas and waste products, thereby accomplishing separation.

Arranged in the bouncing chamber 14 are means for further separating the good peas from the waste products and particularly for removing any particles which adhere to the peas. Arranged in this chamber are a plurality of horizontally disposed rollers 16-17-18 having corrugated surfaces 19.

The corrugations on the rollers are preferentially longitudinal but may be helical or otherwise. These rollers rotate in a clockwise direction in the machine shown in the drawings. The rollers are arranged in an inclined plane and serve to direct the good peas in one direction and the refuse material in another direction. Arranged above and to one side of the roller 16 is an inclined smooth surfaced plate 21 preferably formed of glass. This plate is so arranged that peas falling thereon from the screen 5 are directed toward the roller 16. The peas roll from plate 21, strike the roller and bounce off forwardly, while the refuse material drops onto the roller, is carried backwardly and drops from the roller on the rear wall 22 of the bouncing chamber. Between rollers 16 and 17 is a similar inclined smooth surfaced plate 23 onto which the peas are discharged from table 5 and onto which they bounce from the roll 16, and a similar plate 24 is arranged between rolls 17 and 18. The smooth surfaced plates retard the movement of the refuse and cause it to be separated from the good peas which bounce from roller to roller.

The plates 21, 23 and 24 are adjustably mounted on rods 25, which are mounted in the side walls of the chamber, so that their M angles of inclination may be varied in accordance with different qualities of peas to be separated. Secured to each rod 25 is an arm 26 which is normally secured to a fixed concentric guide 27 by means of a wing nut 28. Means are also provided for adjusting the position of the rollers 16, 17, 18 with respect to the plates. The rollers are j ournaled on the inclined members or beams 31 arranged at opposite sides of the bouncing chamber, the side walls of which are provided with elongated apertures through which the trunnions of the rollers pass. The beams 31 are secured to horizontally disposed supports 32 which are slidable in guides 33 secured to the frame 2. Rotatably secured'to each beam is a screw spindle 34 bearing in a screw threaded journal 35 secured to the frame, rotation of the spindle 34 by means of the hand wheel 36 serving to slide the beam 31 horizontally. Each spindle is provided with a sprocket 37, the sprockets being interconnected by a chain 38 so that both beams are moved simultaneously.

Arranged below the bouncing chamber and adapted to receive the good peas and refuse separately therefrom, is an inclined structure 39, in which is arranged an endless traveling corrugated surfaced conveyer 41. The conveyer is inclined and its upper run travels upwardly. Means are provided for giving the conveyer a bobbing or bouncing motion, so that the good peas which fall thereon will roll down and discharge through the chute 42. The upper pulley 43 over which the conveyer travels is made square so that as it rotates the conveyer is caused to bob. The refuse matter clings to the conveyer and is carried over the upper end, where it is washed from the conveyer by streams of air or water discharging from the pipe 44 and discharges through the chute 45. rlhe inclination of the conveyer is adjustable to accommodate the machine to different qualities and sizes of peas. The structure 39, on which the lower pulley 46 is journaled is pivoted on the shaft of the upper pulley and secured to the structure adjacent the lower end are cables 47 passing around reels 48. The reels are interconnected by the shaft 49 which is rotated by the handle 51. Secured to the shaft is a ratchet 52 which is engaged by a pawl 53 to hold the belt in adjusted positions. The rollers 16, 17 and 18 are provided on their trunnions with sprockets 54-55-56, which are engaged by a chain 57 which is driven from sprocket 58, the chain being suiciently slack to permit the horizontal adjustment of the rollers. The sprocket 58 is on the same shaft as sprocket 59 which is driven from sprocket 61 on the upper conveyerv pulley shaft by the chain 62. -The conveyer pulley shaft is also provided with a sprocket 63 which is driven from sprocket 64 through chain 65, and sprocket 64 is driven through a suitable chain and sprockets from the eccentric shaft 13, which, in the present instance, constitutes the driving shaft of the machine.

After the machine has been operated for a time, the smooth surfaces become covered with waste material. The feed of the peas to the machine is then interrupted and water is sluiced through the machine for the purpose of removing the lodged waste material.

l claim:

1. ln a machine for separating peas from refuse, a plurality of rollers arranged in inclined superposed relation, means for directing the peas from one roller to another, and means for adjusting the position of the rollers with respect to the directing means.

2. In a machine for separating peas from refuse, a plurality of rotating corrugated rollers arranged in inclined superposed relation, inclined smooth surfaced plates arranged to deliver the peas to the successive rollers in a direction opposite to the direc- 1201 tion of their rotation, whereby the peas bound from the roller and the refuse is caught thereby, and means for varying the inclination of the plates.

3. In a machine for separating peas from refuse, a plurality of horizontally disposed rollers arranged in inclined superposed relation, inclined smooth surfaced plates arranged between the successive rollers and adapted to deliver peas to the rollers, means for varying the inclination of said plates and means for varying the position of the rollers With respect to the plates.

1l. In a machine for separating peas from refuse, a shaking table having an inclined perforated bottom, an oppositely inclined smooth surfaced table secured to and arranged below the lower portion of said perforated bottom and onto Which the peas fall from the perforated bottom, a chamber into Which the peas are delivered from said smooth surfaced plate and perforated bottom, a plurality of rollers in said chamber over Which the peas pass, and means in the chamber for directing the peas against said i5 rollers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the county of San Mateo, California, this 29th day of March, 1915.

JESSE R. MERO.

In presence of- W. J. ANREDo, M. J. BETTENCOURT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

